I was just trying to make a nice little movie... It wasn't until I saw it all put together that I realized this was something remarkable. Mike Nichols More Quotes by Mike Nichols More Quotes From Mike Nichols All the theories that acting is reacting to imaginary circumstances as though they are real, and directing is turning psychology into behavior, those are all stabs at something that can't be taught. All the great actors can't talk about what they do, and they don't want to begin to talk about it. They just do it. Mike Nichols psychology theatre real Jewish introspection and Jewish humor is a way of surviving . . . if you're not handsome and you're not athletic and you're not rich, there's still one last hope with girls, which is being funny. Mike Nichols handsome athletic girl It's not a filmmaker's job to explain his technique but to tell his story the best way he can. Mike Nichols technique stories jobs If you want to be a legend, God help you, it's so easy. You just do one thing. You can be the master of suspense, say. But if you want to be as invisible as is practical, then it's fun to do a lot of different things. Mike Nichols suspense different fun Yes. The whole point about laughter is it's like mercury: you can't catch it, you can't catch what motivates it - that's why it's funny. Mike Nichols mercury laughter whole I think Mike felt that the best work he did was in his early career, (It wasn't that) he felt the work he did after that wasn't good, but he was most excited to talk about the early work. Mike Nichols entertainment I liked doing the stand-up, i only stopped because Elaine wanted to stop. I've never understood it. I thought: 'Why? It's not a very long show. It doesn't cost us anything emotionally.'. Mike Nichols entertainment The degree to which you're peculiar and different is the degree to which you must learn to hear people thinking. Just in self-defense you have to learn, where is their kindness? Where is their danger? Where is their generosity? Mike Nichols you kindness people thinking Stand-up comedy is a very hard thing on the spirit. There are people who transcend it, like Jack Benny and Steve Martin, but in its essence, it's soul-destroying. It tends to turn people into control freaks. Mike Nichols control hard comedy people I've learned that many of the worst things lead to the best things, that no great thing is achieved without a couple of bad, bad things on the way to them, and that the bad things that happen to you bring, in some cases, the good things. Mike Nichols best great good you Chicago is not a very fashion-driven place. Nobody says, 'Oh, you've got to come see these fabulous people!' Nobody cares. Mike Nichols nobody place you people There are absolutely almost perfect people who experience no guilt; they don't know what it is. They simply do what they need to do - or want to do - next. They see nothing wrong with it. They feel no guilt. They express no guilt. And it's not even certain what harm they do. Mike Nichols nothing feel experience people People, by and large, would rather be talking than listening. Mike Nichols than listening talking people I was standing right behind Marilyn, completely invisible, when she sang 'Happy birthday, Mr. President.' And indeed, the corny thing happened: Her dress split for my benefit, and there was Marilyn, and yes, indeed, she didn't wear any underwear. Mike Nichols dress wear happy birthday I don't expect anything from reviews. Sometimes I am bemused by them. Mike Nichols expect i-am anything sometimes I think the main thing about comedy and humor is that it's impossible and always was impossible to define. Mike Nichols think comedy humor impossible A great thing is happening on cable TV. You see characters change in stories over years, like in Tolstoy. That's a whole, thrilling new form that I really enjoy. They are Tolstoy-an in their endless character development and narrative changes... a show like 'Breaking Bad' is astonishing. Mike Nichols great you change character The thing about being an outsider... is that it teaches you to hear what people are thinking because you're constantly looking for the people who just don't give a damn. Mike Nichols looking you people thinking If you're fleeing Nazi Germany in 1939 and you're a Jew, you don't think so much about relationships. People didn't have a lot of divorces during the Holocaust, for instance. Mike Nichols relationships think you people Plays, especially great plays, yield their secrets over a long period of time. You can't read it three times and say, 'OK, I got it. I know what's happening.' Mike Nichols great you time long
